


Hoshizora-san is Popular

by Ethanol



Series: μ's Love Dramatic [3]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Friendship, Love Confessions, Rin loves everyone, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24453262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethanol/pseuds/Ethanol
Summary: Affection and attention is commonplace for an idol, but Rin didn't expect this much attention.
Relationships: Hoshizora Rin & Everyone, Koizumi Hanayo/Nishikino Maki, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: μ's Love Dramatic [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711021
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Hoshizora-san is Popular

**Author's Note:**

> hi hello it's me
> 
> so im quite busy rn because i was suddenly given a project for my college course thats due soon so im swamped doing that 
> 
> i havent finished writing but i have this stockpiled that i thought was a neat one shot but never had a reason to post it so why not now
> 
> maybe in 2 days ill continue my kotoumi one, i swear. thank you for being patient and enjoy this short oneshot

"Uhm!" A nervous voice broke out behind Rin. Curious, she turned on her heels, golden green meeting nervous eyes, darting everywhere but at her direction.

"T-thank you for coming out all this way, even though I didn't s-sign the letter." The high schooler fought down embarrassed stutters, struggling to keep her voice even. Her feet shuffled against the floor, and Rin took notice of the ribbon on her collar.

_A second year, nya._ A bow of wine red with blue stripes. This girl was a whole year ahead of her. The ginger breathed out, making sure not to make her sighs audible. When their eyes finally met, Rin gave her usual, cheery smile.

"It's all right, nya! There's still a while before μ's practice, and Rin doesn't have anything planned until then," she said with a laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. She gulped, already anticipating where this conversation was about to go.

Rin would know, this was the third time it had happened.

"I know we haven't met, b-but I'm a really big fan, a-and I think you're really b-beautiful..." The second year blushed at her own words, breaking away her gaze to look down at her feet. Still, she continued.

"I... I uhm..." The ginger heard nothing but hushed whispers and began to worry until the girl forced out the rest of the words stuck in her throat.

"I... I like you! P-please go out with me!" She bowed, either from the heavy question or from embarrassment. Rin stood silently, the lack of exchange seeding an air of awkwardness.

The ginger frowned, managing to suppress her sigh to a simple, long exhale of breath. She called to her. Rin didn't know her name.

"Gee, Rin is thankful, but..." She saw how the girl stiffened at the word 'but.' Rin stepped forward, settling a careful hand on the second year's shoulder. "Rin can't return your feelings. Sorry, nya."

She gave an apologetic pat before stepping back. The girl didn't meet her eyes, and Rin couldn't see her face since she was still bowed down. It made her feel guilty. "Please, lift your head."

After a moment, the girl complied, and the ginger's gaze met one glassed with tears. She shook her head and gave a weak smile. "T-thank you for answering me. A-and for... Coming out here." Her voice felt fragile, and Rin found the comforting smile she put on herself threatening to break.

But she wouldn't had to hold it for long as the girl quickly faced back, running away before disappearing at the corner. Rin didn't give chase, nor did she call out. She stood there in the newborn silence.

Eventually, her feet began walking. To the direction of the clubroom. Rin had lied, practice was ongoing, and she was running late. Her thoughts had considered going after μ's practice was done. The letter she found in her locker earlier today hadn't mentioned a specific time.

Rin sighed. She had considered, but in the end decided to get it over with.

* * *

"How many does that make it this week?" Maki offhandedly asked. Rin mentioned this afternoon's incident to her two fellow classmates and group members after practice, free from the ears of their seniors. The three of them were now walking home, slower than usual as Rin didn't have the usual spring in her step that both Maki and Hanayo would try and keep up with.

"Three, nya..." Rin answered with a sigh. She noticed how often she was sighing today, likely from emotional exhaustion from the recent turn of events.

"Three?!" Hanayo repeated in disbelief, meeting the ginger's look of resignation with one of shock. "W-what did you tell her, Rin-chan?" Her words held no curiosity, already knowing the answer, but the brunette decided to ask just for the sake of the question.

"Rin told her thank you, but I turned her down. Rin didn't even know her name, nya!" The ginger voiced to the open evening air; arms raised in an irritation she didn't know was there. It was something about how she didn't know her name. It made Rin feel that the confession felt impersonal.

Of course, knowing the person's name didn't make these situations any less awkward. If anything, it made it more so since Rin found it difficult to meet their eyes afterwards. It didn't help some were classmates.

"And... She was a second year," She added after a pause, earning a shocked noise from the redhead.

"O-one of the second years tried to ask you out?!" Maki's question was rushed in her disbelief, but she quickly caught herself, wiping the incredulous look on her face. Hanayo saw everything and giggled at her actions. "W-what? It's kind of hard to believe, okay?"

"I thought it was cute, Maki-chan." Hanayo shook her head with a hum, closing the gap between them and snaking an arm around Maki's. She stuttered out the brunette's name but didn't move her away. Though she couldn't hide the blush when Hanayo brushed up against her side as they walked.

"W-whatever," Maki replied with a sigh, but the soft smile plastered on a face dusted red betrayed her words. On usual days, Rin would tease the redhead to high heavens at the sight of her embarrassed, but today she didn't even look, eyes jumping to random objects as they walked.

Maki noticed this and frowned at the ginger's silence. "Does this one bother you, Rin?"

In response, she shook her head, her gaze focusing to the couple beside her. "No, but..." She hummed in thought but produced nothing but a defeated shrug. "Rin's not sure, but it's something to do with Rin not knowing her name..." For what felt like the millionth time today, Rin sighed.

Maki and Hanayo shared a look, the latter looking back at the ginger, who saw a guilty look on her face. "I... I feel guilty. T-that Maki-chan and I caused this to happen to you, Rin-chan."

"No!" Rin snapped out, hardening the gaze on her best friend. "Rin's happy for you and Maki-chan, Kayo-chin! This isn't any of your two's fault, nya!" Hanayo flinched at her sudden outburst, her words silenced.

"It's not all that bad either! It's just... Rin doesn't know how to deal with it, nya." She admitted, the fire in her voice snuffed out underneath guilt. At every rejection Rin would see eyes ridden with tears, sadness, or both. "Rin knows it's nobody's fault. But Rin can't help but feel guilty."

"You couldn't have expected that people saw their chance to get with you after finding out you weren't with Hanayo." Maki spoke out, stunning the other two at the bluntness of her words. Hanayo flushed red at the context of the redhead's words, but Rin mulled it over, falling silent.

Maki was right in a way. Everything had started when the rest of Otonokizaka outside of μ's knew about her relationship with Hanayo. The reception was primarily positive, save for the longing looks of a certain few, but there were no issues.

That was, Rin thought, until the confessions and love letters began. At the start they were far and few in between, but it progressively grew, and the ginger didn't have it in her heart to hurt anybody's feelings.

Of course, she was flattered at each sentiment, and she loved everyone. But, in a way she loved the fans of μ's. Never anything substantial and past the point of thankfulness for the admiration.

So, to set the beginning of Rin's long trail of heartbreak at the start of Hanayo and Maki's relationship would be understandable, reasonable, and as the more Rin thought about it, was probably right.

"Kayo-chin and I weren't like that, nya!" Rin voiced aloud, coming out of her thoughts.

"Well duh, but everyone else had that assumption from how close you two are," Maki fired back, twirling a strand of vivid red hair with her free hand.

"And Kayo-chin was too busy looking at Maki-chan to look at anybody else!" Rin countered fast, a grin crawling on her face at the sudden explosion of redness on both of their faces.

"R-Rin-chan! T-that's..." Hanayo was reduced to embarrassed stutters, wrapping herself tighter around Maki's arm. "T-that's not true..." Her words were unsure, failing to convince even herself.

"Kayo-chin, you almost flopped an exam because you were too busy looking at Maki-chan's hair instead of the lesson, nya. The same was with Maki-chan that next week too, but with Kayo-chin's warm and fluffy chee-"

"R-Rin!" Maki interrupted, her face a deep red. The ginger couldn't help but laugh at the couple stewing in their embarrassment. She grinned. They were perfect for each other and being around them made Rin forget about her own problems. And it was very easy to tease Maki whenever Hanayo was with her.

"B-but, Rin-chan, do you want things to continue like this?" Hanayo asked, fighting down the blossomed red of her cheeks to form coherent words. The heaviness of the question brought Rin down to the topic at hand. She gave the brunette's question a thought, frowning when she had no proper answer.

"Well, it's not like Rin can tell them to stop liking me, nya." She shrugged, relaxing her shoulders, somewhere in her mind she hoped the confessions would lessen in the passage of time. "And Rin hasn't had a reason to say yes to one so far."

"So far?" Maki repeated, an eyebrow quirked. "So, you're waiting for someone perfect to come along?" There was an almost smug grin on the redhead's face, finally managing to get the upper hand in teasing with Rin.

She didn't expect the ginger's response to be a shaken head and a bright smile. "Nope! Rin's happy to spend every day with Maki-chan and Kayo-chin! And with the rest of μ's too!" Suddenly all three were in a tight hug initiated by the energetic cat-like girl.

Hanayo laughed with her best friend, but Maki was stunned in momentary disbelief at the reaction she didn't account for. But it wasn't a bad one, and she was soon smiling with her fellow first years.

Love wasn't something undesirable or unreachable for Rin. She knew it was right here, with her closest friends, the members of μ's and everything they went through together. It was a love Rin held dear to her heart. So, why would she need a relationship?


End file.
